Two UN Special Rapporteurs have strongly condemned Russia’s decision to end its cooperation with the European Committee on the Prevention of Torture. They stressed that external monitoring bodies serve as essential safeguards against abuses in prisons and other places of detention, warning that Russia’s move raises serious concerns about conditions behind bars.
The experts highlighted that they have repeatedly documented systematic torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of prisoners, including Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war, by Russian authorities. They noted that the denial of access to international observers, now compounded by Russia’s withdrawal, creates “black holes” in which detainees are at heightened risk of abuse.
The UN officials reminded Russian authorities that international obligations to prevent torture and protect detainees remain legally binding, regardless of the country’s withdrawal from oversight mechanisms. They emphasized that all allegations of torture must be investigated, and perpetrators must face prosecution and punishment.
Russia’s government announced its plans to withdraw from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Other Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, a treaty ratified in 1998. This follows its earlier exit from the European Convention on Human Rights in September 2022, effectively ending external oversight of torture violations by the European Court of Human Rights.
